SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Nov. 25, 2014) – Last week at the State Capitol, Rend Lake College’s Worksite Wellness Committee and a handful of other organizations were honored with an Illinois Healthy Worksite Designation by the Illinois Department of Public Health. RLC received Gold recognition, the highest honor, thanks to the “We Choose Health” grant, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Two representatives from RLC's Worksite Wellness Committee accepted the Gold recognition on Nov. 19. Pictured is, FROM LEFT, Sandy Noel, Co-Chairman of the Governor’s Council on Health and Physical Fitness; Jennifer Hammer, Executive Director of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce; Kim Robert, RLC Dean of Allied Health; Lori Ragland, RLC Dean of Community and Corporate Education; Conny Moody, Assistant Deputy Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health; and Tom Ciccotti, Chairman of Building a Healthier Chicago’s Worksite Wellness Initiative. Click on the image for a larger view.(Photo by Jared Ramer / Illinois Healthy Worksite Designation)

The Illinois Healthy Worksite Designation was created in 2014 to recognize workplaces with healthy practices that benefit employees and employers alike. The Worksite Wellness Committee was formed at RLC to improve the health and happiness of employees by helping them reach wellness goals through motivation, encouragement, and informational activities. Some of the activities include Lunch-N-Learn, Walk-N-Talk, monthly challenges, ongoing newsletters, and much more. RLC is one of only five organizations to receive recognition in Southern Illinois. There were 11 other organizations who received Gold, 14 received Silver, and 16 received Bronze.

The Illinois Healthy Worksite Designation was created as part of the statewide “We Choose Health” community transformation grant, which was funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and overseen by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Its purpose was to make communities healthier and reduce chronic disease. Worksite Wellness was one of the strategies selected to achieve the goal in Illinois. The Illinois Healthy Worksite Designation was created to engage employers throughout the state in worksite wellness best practices. For more information about the RLC Gold recognition, click here.

For more information about Worksite Wellness at RLC, contact Lori Ragland at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1367 or visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rlcwellness.